Highway 402 buckles near Reece’s Corner as temps hit 34 C on Canada Day
Heather Wright Photo
A transport truck heading eastbound on Highway 402 near Oil Heritage Road passes heaving concrete in the westbound lane around 7 pm Canada Day.
Highway 402 buckles near Reece’s Corner as temps hit 34 C on Canada Day
July 1, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent
It appears the extreme heat is causing the concrete on Highway 402 near the Oil Heritage Road exit to buckle again.
Around 5 pm Canada Day, Lambton OPP closed the westbound lanes of the highway at Reece’s Corners “due to hazardous road conditions.” Traffic was being directed down London Line to get back on Highway 402 at Mandaumin Road.
It’s not the first time the roadway has buckled during extreme weather.
Last June, the same stretch of the 402 was closed when the road heaved in extreme heat in approximately the same spot. In July, another piece of the highway on the eastbound side between Airport and Mandaumin Road. Extreme heat in 2019 also lead to the road cracking.
The temperature in Lambton between 3 and 4 pm Wednesday reached 34 C according to Environment Canada records.
After the June event, the Ministry of Transportation put sealed the roadway and said the roadway would have a more extensive fix in the fall.
It’s unclear if that ever happened.
For now, the OPP is advising drivers to plan an alternate route and check www.511.on.ca for road conditions.
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